| 1961 Houston Oilers season | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Lou Rymkus (1-3-1) Wally Lemm (9-0-0) |
| Home Field | Jeppesen Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–3–1 |
| Place | 1st AFL Eastern |
| Playoff Finish | Won AFL Championship (Chargers) (10–3) |
| Timeline | |
| Previous Season | Next Season |
| 1960 | 1962 |
The 1961 Houston Oilers season was their second. For the second consecutive season, the Oilers scored a triumph in the AFL Championship over the San Diego Chargers.
The '61 Oilers started slow, with a 1-3-1 record. After a Week Five tie with the Boston Patriots, head coach Lou Rymkus was fired by owner Bud Adams. Wally Lemm was hired, and the team proceeded to go undefeated for the remainder of the season, including the Championship game.
The Oilers set the AFL record for points scored in 1961, with 513 (36.6 points per game).[1] They also set an American Football League record with a +271 point differential, by allowing only 242 points.[2] The 1961 Oilers are the only team in AFL or NFL history to score 45 points or more six times in a single season.[3]
Offseason[]
On January 14, Chicago Bears End Willard Dewveall played out his option and joined the Houston Oilers. He became the first player to move deliberately from one league to another.[4]
AFL Draft[]
- Houston Oilers draft picks (Selected eighth)
| Round | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Ditka | Offensive End | Pittsburgh |
| 2 | Tom Goode | Center | Mississippi State |
| 3 | Walter Suggs 1 | Tackle | Mississippi State |
| 4 | Bobby Walden | Halfback | Georgia |
| 5 | Monte Lee | Linebacker | Texas |
| 6 | Jake Gibbs | Quarterback | Mississippi |
| 7 | Dick Reynolds | Tackle | North Carolina State |
| 8 | Houston Antwine 1,2 | Guard | Southern Illinois |
| 9 | Ralph White | Tackle | Bowling Green |
| 10 | Charles Lee | Center | Iowa |
| 11 | Robert Bird | Guard | Bowling Green |
| 12 | Bob McLeod | Offensive End | Abilene Christian |
| 13 | Gerald Hinton | Guard | Louisiana Tech |
| 14 | Jimmy King | Tackle | Clemson |
| 15 | Dennis Ferriter | Center | Marquette |
| 16 | Larry Wood | Halfback | Northwestern |
| 17 | Sam Fewell | Tackle | South Carolina |
| 18 | Mike Grimsley | Halfback | Michigan State |
| 19 | Myron Pearson | Halfback | Colorado |
| 20 | Lewis Johnson | Halfback | Florida A&M |
| 21 | Ron Miller | Quarterback | Wisconsin |
| 22 | Bob Kelly | Offensive End | New Mexico State |
| 23 | James Anderson | Fullback | Mississippi |
| 24 | Ken Gregory | Offensive End | Whittier |
| 25 | Jack Kreider | Halfback | Tulsa |
| 26 | Don Fuell | Quarterback | Mississippi Southern |
| 27 | Boyd King | Center | Rice |
| 28 | John Frongillo | Center | Baylor |
| 29 | John Frongillo | Offensive End | Lake Forest |
| 29 | Errol Linden | Defensive End | Houston |
| 30 | Jim Stroud | Tackle | Rice |
Regular season[]
Season standings[]
| Eastern Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Houston Oilers | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 513 | 242 |
| Boston Patriots | 9 | 4 | 1 | .692 | 413 | 313 |
| New York Titans | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 301 | 390 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 294 | 342 |
Season schedule[]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9, 1961 | Oakland Raiders | W 55–0 | |
| 2 | Bye week | |||
| 3 | September 24, 1961 | at San Diego Chargers | L 34–24 | |
| 4 | October 1, 1961 | at Dallas Texans | L 26-21 | |
| 5 | October 8, 1961 | Buffalo Bills | L 22–12 | |
| 6 | October 13, 1961 | at Boston Patriots | T 31–31 | |
| 7 | October 22, 1961 | Dallas Texans | W 38-7 | |
| 8 | October 29, 1961 | at Buffalo Bills | W 28-16 | |
| 9 | November 5, 1961 | at Denver Broncos | W 55–14 | |
| 10 | November 12, 1961 | Boston Patriots | W 27–15 | |
| 11 | November 19, 1961 | New York Titans | W 49–13 | |
| 12 | November 26, 1961 | Denver Broncos | W 45–14 | |
| 13 | December 3, 1961 | San Diego Chargers | W 33–13 | |
| 14 | December 10, 1961 | at New York Titans | W 48–21 | |
| 15 | December 17, 1961 | at Oakland Raiders | W 47–16 | |
Roster[]
| Quarterbacks
Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends |
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen |
Linebackers
Defensive Backs CB Special Teams |
Reserve Lists
Practice Squad Rookies in italics |
Postseason[]
AFL Championship Game[]
- 1961 Championship
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Houston Oilers 10, San Diego Chargers 3
- December 24, 1961 at Balboa Stadium, San Diego, California
Attendance: 29,556
Scoring
- HOU – Field goal Blanda 46
- HOU – Cannon 35 pass from Blanda (Blanda kick)
- SD – Field goal Blair 12
References[]
- ↑ Pro-Fooball-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the AFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points For
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1960 to 1969, in the AFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points Differential
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the regular season, requiring Points For >= 45, sorted by most games in season matching criteria.
- ↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 282